12 kilometres outside the coast of Cape Town you find Robben Island. From the 17th to the 20th century Robben Island was used to isolate people, primarily as a prison. It was also a habitat for political activists that fought for the rights of the black people and worked for a fair and democratic country when the apartheid ruled in South Africa.
The most famous prisoner is the former ANC-leader Nelson Mandela. He was on the island for 18 years, from 1963 to 1982. He is best known as the first black president in South Africa.
The island has not only been used as a prison. It was also a hospital for people with leprosy and mental illness between 1846-1931. Under the Second World War, it was a training and defence station. It was kept prisoners on the island during both of these periods.
Today it’s no longer a prison on the Robben Island, but a museum. It’s a popular destination for tourists visiting South Africa. Many think of Robben Island as a symbol of the price South African paid for freedom
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